Franklin Introduced at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next football coach. He boasts a 128-60 record and led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season.

“My vision is simple,” Franklin said. “To restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this University, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion.”

Tech students and fans in Blacksburg expressed excitement about the hire. “I was afraid it’s gonna be a long four years here,” one freshman said. “Not anymore.“

The Hokies dismissed Brent Pry after a 0-3 start this season.

Prison Guard Killed on Duty

One corrections officer was killed and two others injured by what authorities called a “vicious attack” on Monday morning by an inmate at River North Correctional Center.

Jeremy Lewis Hall, 40, had been a corrections officer for about 18 months and was on duty at the facility in Independence at the time of the attack.

The Virginia Department of Corrections vowed to do “everything in its power to ensure this vicious attack is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The agency said the suspect is John Holomon Russell, who is serving an 11-year, 11-month sentence for armed carjacking.

Supreme Court Upholds Injunction

The Virginia Supreme Court declined to lift an injunction imposed by a lower court that blocks eight people appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin from serving on the governing boards of the University of Virginia, George Mason University, and Virginia Military Institute.

Gubernatorial nominees are allowed to serve on an interim basis while their appointments are considered by the General Assembly. In this case, however, Democrats who control the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted down the nominees and sued to block the appointments.

A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge ruled in their favor over the summer. “Here, the public interest is served by protecting the power of the elected legislature to confirm or reject gubernatorial appointees,” Jonathan D. Frieden wrote.

Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger said she will move quickly to fill vacancies on governing boards when she is sworn in on Jan. 17.

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➤ Hampton Roads: Stephen A. Edwards, the leader of the Port of Virginia, announced he will step aside and return to the private sector at the end of the year. During his tenure, the facility has nearly finished a $1.4 billion capital investment program. (Details)

➤ Alexandria: The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority broke ground on several expansion projects to improve passenger travel and freight service, including the addition of a fourth track at the Alexandria station. (More)

➤ Statewide: All SNAP benefits for this month were loaded onto the recipients’ cards, putting the program back on a normal schedule. Benefits had been disrupted during the federal government shutdown. (Details)

➤ Chesapeake: The city’s school board will meet again on Dec. 8 to vote on a proposal that would require employees to address students by pronouns that match their sex as assigned at birth. Several parents spoke out against the policy at a board meeting this week. (More)

➤ Virginia Beach: The mother of an autistic child complained that officials at Salem Middle School threatened to expel her son after they accused him of using drugs. The student provided the school with a toxicology test showing he does not use drugs. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality announced that 50 counties and 23 cities are under a drought watch advisory. Forecasters expect below normal precipitation in the next few weeks. (More)

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➤ VMI, off to a 3-2 start in men’s basketball, visits the undefeated Richmond Spiders tonight. (Preview)

➤ UVA men’s soccer landed a No. 2 seed in the 48-team NCAA championship tournament. The Cavaliers earned a first-round bye and will play on Sunday. (See Bracket)

➤ Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin scored his 442nd goal at Capital One Arena, passing the decades-old record for most goals in a single arena that was set by Gordie Howe with the Detroit Red Wings. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | Soccer | NCAAF | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ The annual cost to raise a child in Virginia jumped 3.8% over the past year, according to information collected by SmartAsset. The site estimated it costs about $28,300 annually to raise a five-year-old. (Details)

➤ Booz Allen Hamilton announced it will relocate its corporate headquarters from McLean to Reston. The contractor’s new location is under construction and is expected to be ready in 2027. (More)

➤ Employees at the Port Republic Starbucks in Harrisonburg announced they intend to attempt to unionize with Starbucks Workers United. (Details)

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➤ Virginia State Parks and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation announced the creation of the Ranger Conservation Corps, an internship program to help young people land jobs in conservation, recreation, and education. (Details)

➤ The 4-H Pathway to Learning mobile lab is touring the Commonwealth to help teach elementary school students about the life sciences. (More)

➤ Virginia is peachy! Guinness World Records experts announced that a 1.83-pound stone fruit, grown at Chiles Peach Orchard in Crozet this year, is officially the “world’s heaviest peach.” (Details)

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What’s your favorite Virginia-grown fruit?

1. Apples
2. Peaches
3. Grapes
4. Other

Tuesday’s Results:

What do you most often call the bread-based Thanksgiving dish often cooked inside a turkey? 

1. Stuffing: 34%
2. Dressing: 25%
3. Other: 21%
4. “Yucky”: 20%

How many times did Culpeper change hands during the Civil War?

Show me the answer